Bengaluru boy caught wheeling, dad booked under Juvenile Justice Act

BENGALURU: A businessman in his 40s was booked under the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act recently for allowing his minor son to ride his scooter and perform stunts on the road. The 17-year-old boy was caught performing wheelies near Marathahalli bridge on June 1. After confirming that the boy was a minor, HAL traffic police filed a complaint against his father, a businessman and resident of Ramagondanahalli, on June 15.
A senior police officer said, a case under section 75 of the JJ Act (punishment for cruelty to child) has been registered. "We will issue a notice to the father and record his statement and a chargesheet will be filed against him. The two-wheeler has been seized by traffic police."
According to Bengaluru city traffic police, more than 150 cases have been booked for wheeling so far this year. While 219 cases were booked in 2019, 2022 saw 283 cases booked for such offences. Venkatesh J, assistant sub-inspector with the HAL traffic police station, in his complaint stated that while he was on duty near Marathahalli bridge around 1.30 pm on June 1, he saw a boy performing wheelies on a scooter on Varthur Main Road, while heading towards Marathahalli bridge from Kundalahalli bridge.
'Boy's stunts triggered fear among motorists'
The boy was not wearing a helmet and his reckless stunts triggered fear among the other motorists, the sub-inspector said. After finding out that the boy was a minor, HAL traffic police registered cases under multiple sections of IPC and Indian Motor Vehicles Act against both the boy and his father, who owned the vehicle, including section 180 (for giving vehicle to a minor for riding).
MN Anucheth, joint commissioner of police (traffic), told TOI: "Parents should be responsible while giving two-wheelers to their children. In the aftermath of the Pune Porsche incident, we have taken the initiative to book cases against parents under the JJ Act." The officer further said: "In 20% of wheeling cases, the offenders are minors. It is quite a high percentage. Wheeling has led to a lot of injuries and deaths, too, in some cases." According to sub-inspector Venkatesh, despite knowing that his son was a minor, the accused gave scooter to him.